Metal-planer



(No Model.)

B. F. RADFORD. METAL PLANER. No. 255,11 5. Patented Mar; 21,1882.

' N4 PETERS. PIwlvLflhngnprher Washington. ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. RADFORD, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

M ETAL-PLANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,115, dated March21, 1882.

Application filed January 7, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LBENJAMIN F. RADFORD, of Hyde Park, county of Norfolk,and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement inMetal-Planers, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompany ing drawings, is a specification.

This invention in metal-planers relates to improvements in devices forreciprocating the planer-bed steadily and uniformly without the usualshock and jar'attendant upon the eniployment of toothed gearing andracks. In the most common form of metal-planer a rack connected withthe. planer-bed is engaged by a toothed gear, which thus reciprocatesthe bed; but this is objectionable, as each tooth of the gear as itengages a tooth of the rack strikes, as it were, a blow, causing jar tothe parts, and the more the wear and thelooser the fitbetween theirteeth the greater the jar. This jar sometimes becomes so great as to bereadily noticeable on the metal being planed by thepresence of smalltransverse ridges. To obviate the employment of toothed gear or wheelsfor this purpose, which results in shock or jar during the reciprocationof the bed, screws have been employed by some of the prominentmanufacturers of metal-planers; but the screws are objectionable forsuch purpose because of the slow speed at which they operate theplaner-bed. To get the greatest speed and entirely dispense with jarattendantupon movin g'the plaher-bedlhave attached smooth metal bands tothe ends ofthe planer-bed, and having passed the opposite ends of thesaid metal bands in opposite directions, partially or wholly about thesurface of two drums, 1 have attached the said ends to the said drums.The band secured to the rear end of the planer-bed to drawit backwardwill preferably be attached tothe bed in a yielding manner through theinstrumentality of a spring, so that the shock or strain resultingfromthe quick reversal of the movement of the planer-bed when startedbackward will not injuriously affeet the planer, and so, also,that whenone part of the band partially overlaps another part thereof, becausewound more than once about the drum, as when the planer-bed is long, theyielding of the spring will compensate for the increase in diameter ofthe drum and band. These drums, with which the smooth metallic bands areattach'ed,are secured to a shaft which may haveatone end aworm-toothedgear-wheel, which is engaged and actuated in first one and then in theopposite direction by a worm on a shaft placed parallel with the sideofthe planerbed. The shaft has upon it the reversing-pulleys, which willbe operated, all as usual, by open and crossed belts controlled by abeltshifter to enable the shaft to be rotated in one or the otherdirection, or be left at rest.

Figure 1 represents in top view the frame I of a metal-planer with theplaner-bed removed to show the metal bands and the drums with which theyare attached,the frame-work ofthe planer above the bed being broken off;Fig.2, a partial side elevation and section of a metalplaner embodyingmy invention; Figs.3,4, and 5, enlarged details showing the mannerofconnecting one ofthe metal bands with the rear end of the planer-bed;Fig. 6, a vertical section taken through one of the drums.

The frame-work A of the planer is and may be of usual shape,as may bethe planer-bed B, and the bed and frame will have the usual guidestoinsure the straight movement of the bed with the least friction. Theframe-work has suitable bearings to receive the cross-shaft 0, uponwhich are fixed the two drums at b, which are made as shells, asindicated in Fig. 6. Each drum has its flange or periphery slotted, asshown at 2, to admit the passage of one end of one of the smooth metalbands, 0 or 0,into its interior. Inside each drum, and connected with itby suitable bolts, 3, is a cam-plate, d, to one end of which, by bolts,as at 4, is connected-one of the metal bands, 0 or 0, both drums beingalike in the manner of the connection of its metal bands with it. Themetal band 0,.connected with drum a, as shown in Fig. 2, is wrappedpartially or wholly about the said drum, and connected with the bolt 5,extended through the flanged piece e,secured to the end of the bed B.The drum a, which receives the band thatdraws the planer-bed forward tocarry the material against the tool being used, is located directlyunder the center of the bed B, so that the band draws squarely upon thebed. The band 0 is connected with drum 1), as described of band 0, andwrapped partially or wholly about the drum 1) in the opposite directionfrom that represented by band 0. It is connected by bolt h and suitablenuts with the rear end of the bed. In practice I prefer to extend thisbolt it through a spring,f, thelatter thus occupying a position betweenthe flange ot'part c and thenut 7L2, so that the shock or strain onthemachine, when the movement of the planer-bed is to be reversed andmoved backward, may be greatly reduced, and so, also, thatthe varyingdiameter of the drum and band may be compensated for, as previouslystated.

The shaft G has at one end of it, as I prefer, a worm toothed gear, Z,which is engaged by worm m on shaft n, the latter being provided withthe usual reversing-pulleys to enable it and the worm to be turned ineither direction, as it is desired to rotate the shaft 0 in one or theother direction and cause the bands 0 c, secured to the drums a b, todraw the planerbed positively and steadilyin one or the other direction.By the employment of these bands, preferably of sheet-steel, fittedclosely to the drums and kept properly strained, the movement of theplaner-bed is made most steady and uniform without reducing its speed,and there is no jar whatever, as when the planerbed derives its movementthrough a toothed gear and a rack or equivalent. The metal bands anddrums are cheaper to construct than are other devices heretofore used tomove the planer-bed, so far as known to me, are very durable, and willlast for an indefinite time without repair of any sort. The employmentof the worm and worm-gear also adds to stead- 111688 of movement of theparts.

Instead of the sheet-metal bands to [it the 5 smooth or untoothed drums,wire rope might be employed with good results; but I prefer to employbands such as shown.

Instead of the particular devices employed for driving shaft 0, I mightemploy any other well-known equivalent devices.

I claim- 1. In a metal-planer, theplancr-bed and the drums at b,combined with the metal bands connected at one end with and passed aboutthe drums in opposite directions, and secured at their other ends to theplaner-bed.

2. The planerbed, the drum a, and the sheet-metal band 0, combined withthe bolt and spring to form a yielding connection between the bed andband, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

3. The planer-bed, the sheet-metal bands connected therewith at one end,and the slotted drums at 0, combined with the cam-plates within the saiddrums, with which the other ends of the said bands are connected,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification inthepresence oftwo sub- 60 scribing witnesses.

BENJ. F. RADFORD.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, B. J. NoYEs.

